


Baby Jarchie with a Side of How Vegas Came to Be (And How He's Definitely Not a Rottweiler)

by tallisartin



Category: Archie Comics, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: (and archie), a cutesy story of how archie got vegas, and how jughead loves puppies, no angst or make outs??, pure fluff?, wow whats this?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-23
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-22 23:27:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10707372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tallisartin/pseuds/tallisartin
Summary: “Of course I’ll walk it.” Archie huffed, yanking the front door open and skipping down the steps.





	Baby Jarchie with a Side of How Vegas Came to Be (And How He's Definitely Not a Rottweiler)

“Of course I’ll walk it.” Archie huffed, yanking the front door open and skipping down the steps.

 

“I know how to take care of a dog, Dad. I’m not ten anymore… I’m eleven.” He continued as he jumped into the car.

Fred slipped into the driver’s seat and glanced into the back to make sure the two boys had buckled up. Jughead was sitting quietly with a small smile on his face, and Archie’s face featured a giant grin as he clung to the seatbelt.

“As long as you’re sure of that, kid.”

“I’ll help with the dog, too, Mr Andrews!” Jughead piped up, earning him a gleeful look from his best friend.

Archie had wanted a dog for years, but had always been told to wait until he was ‘old enough’. He was supposed to get one when he was twelve, but when he came home with a report card full of As and a single wish as a reward, his dad crumpled.

The pair of them had gotten up early on that Saturday morning, and waited patiently for Jughead to drop his bike in the yard and come bolting into the house, and then they were off. The closest animal shelter was a couple of hours away but the boys didn’t care, it meant they could talk about exactly what dog Archie needed.

“I want a big one.” Was Archie’s opening line.

Jughead scrunched his nose up and shook his head in disbelief, “A big one? Like an already grown-up one? Why don’t you get a puppy!”

“Because he doesn’t want to be up at all hours of the night toilet training a pup, right Archie?” Fred called from the front seat.

Archie shrugged, “Well yeah, but I just want the biggest, meanest looking one.”

Jughead’s jaw dropped and he looked as if he was trying to figure out why his friend was betraying him so, “But Archie, why would you want a mean one? You love puppies! You’ve always said you wanted a cute, friendly puppy remember? And we were going to train it together.”

“I… I changed my mind, okay,” The redhead finalised, hoping the conclusion was convincing.

Jughead slumped in his seat slightly; excitement a little dimmed from Archie’s newfound conditions.

Both boys snapped out of it as soon as they pulled up at the shelter. The noise of dogs barking was like a mosh pit at a metal band but the pair ran straight down the middle. Archie zeroed in on the deepest, scariest bark and followed his ears.

He was not disappointed by what he found. There, standing behind a wire fence, was the biggest, toughest Rottweiler he had ever seen. It’s shoulders were muscular and it’s mouth was held tightly shut as it cautiously sniffed Archie’s hand through the fence. He looked angry, and Archie smiled. That was the one.

A couple of moments later, Fred caught up to him. The dog let out a warning bark that made the man step back, and he put his hand on Archie’s shoulder.

“Son, I think we should keep looking.”

Archie whipped around and stared up at his dad, “This is the one I want.”

“I really think there’s something better suited… Look, it says he’s not very good with kids.” Fred explained; pointing to the info sheet hanging by the door.

“He’s fine, he sniffed me. I’m not changing my mind D-”

“Archie, Archie! Come and look at this one!” Jughead’s voice was shrill and quick as he ran and gripped Archie’s arm.

Before the bigger boy could react he was being dragged away from his fierce companion-to-be and being led to a much smaller kennel. It took him a moment to see what Jughead was on about, but then he spotted the tiny puppy.

Archie rolled his eyes and pulled his arm from Jughead’s grip. “I told you, Jug, I don’t want a puppy.”

Jughead didn’t even hide the pout this time, and he exhaled dramatically as he tugged his hat further down his forehead. “But look at him! He’s so cute and yellow, and friendly! Not like that big black one you were looking at – he scares me!”

“Exactly!” Archie almost screamed.

He took a breath and spoke softer this time, “That’s what I want, Jug. I need a dog that scares people away.”

Jughead looked confused, but frustration was still laced in his features. “But why? No one breaks into houses in Riverdale, you don’t need a guard dog. It’s supposed to be a friend for you… A friend for both of us.”

Archie sighed and lowered his head, deliberately looking away from the puppy, “It is going to be for both of us – and I don’t want it to guard the house… I want it to guard you.”

He paused for a second and rephrased, “Well not guard you, but scare the bullies away. I thought that if I get a big, mean-looking dog, then all of the kids that pick on you would leave you alone.”

Archie avoided Jughead’s eyes as he finished his confession; becoming very intrigued by the ants crawling across the ground.

It was tense and silent for a second. Archie was frightened he’d offended his friend. Then, Jughead awkwardly patted Archie’s shoulder. Archie almost laughed at the gesture; knowing that it was the closest thing to affection that Jughead could ever reach.

“I don’t need a big scary dog to protect me. I’ve already got you!” Jughead started.

“And I can stand up for myself. I’m not ten anymore, ya know.”

Archie smiled and looked up to meet his friend’s eye, “As long as you’re s-”

He was cut off by a man coming towards him, saying something about the noise. The two boys whipped their heads around as the man in a shelter uniform approached, with Fred following behind.

“Hi there boys! Looking at this little fella, are we?” He chirped happily.

“I went and asked Jim here to give us a hand, we can go back and have a chat about that big guy back there if you want, Arch.” Fred offered.

Archie flicked his eyes up to meet Jughead’s, then down to where the yellow puppy was wagging his tail furiously. He bit his lip in hesitation before sighing.

“Actually no, we are looking at this one.”

Fred’s eyebrows shot up and he peered in on the bundle of happiness. The puppy had honey-golden eyes and a giant, lopsided grin plastered on his face.

“Is that so? I don’t suppose you had anything to do with this, Jug?” Fred questioned.

Before the smaller boy could answer, Jim was unlocking the gate, “This little golden loaf is fresh out of the oven, he’s about 8 weeks old. We don’t know exactly what he is but we’re guessin’ Lab with a bit of Retriever and then a dash of gold dust and sunshine, or at least that’s what the girls in the office are sayin’.”

He scooped the puppy up and walked back out, sliding him into Archie’s open arms. The baby was softer than anything Archie had ever felt, and he showered Archie’s face with wet puppy kisses that tickled his cheeks. His tail thumped joyfully against the boy’s ribs as he struggled to keep hold of the wiggling pup.

“Well he’s got my vote.” Decided Fred.

“Mine too!” Jughead added happily.

Archie just nodded. His face was hurting from how big he was smiling and he had to shuffle the puppy around to avoid from dropping it, but he knew that it was the one he had dreamed of for years; the one he was taking home.

When they got into the car Archie placed the new family member onto Jughead’s lap, and watched his friend’s eyes light up even more as he stroked the puppy. Within minutes it was sleeping soundly; curled up half on-half off of Jughead’s lap, with both boys staring adoringly at him.

“What you gonna call him?” Jughead asked.

Archie paused and surveryed the dog. “Maybe Sunny?”

“What, not Bruiser? Or Hulk?” Jughead teased.

A fortune won and lost on every deal  
All you need’s a strong heart and a nerve of steel  
Viva Las Vegas  
Viva Las Vegas

Fred’s Elvis CD hummed over the speakers as Archie took note of the song.

“I think I’ll call him Vegas.”

Jughead grinned, “Yeah, I definitely like that better.”


End file.
